Isfahan King Cake (Assembly and Baking)
Assemble the reverse puff pastry, rose almond cream, lychee, and raspberry into the Isfahan king cake, then brush with syrup after baking.
Ingredients
reversed puff pastry rounds (prepare in advance)
to taste
rose almond cream (prepare in advance)
to taste
fresh raspberries (frozen, spherical)
4 boxes
canned lychee (approx 2.75 cans, drained)
to taste
fava beans (hidden inside the pie)
4
Isfahan egg wash
to taste
30°B syrup
to taste
Instructions
1
Prepare fruit
The day before, cut the lychee into quarters and drain off excess moisture.
2
Lay base and dampen
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat and lightly dampen it with a brush. Place the puff pastry rounds upside down (bottom side up) on the mat. Use a brush dipped in cold water to dampen the inner edge of each pastry round, 2 cm from the rim, to improve sealing. Take care not to let water run down the sides.
3
Fill filling
On half of the pastry rounds, spread rose almond cream using a 1.5 cm tall ring mold. For 3/4 servings: use 210 g of cream with a 16 cm diameter mold; for 6/8 servings: use 360 g of cream with a 20 cm diameter mold.
4
Arrange fruit
Press the frozen spherical raspberries into the cream in a ring. Scatter the dried lychee between the raspberries. For 3/4 servings: 90 g raspberries and 40 g lychee; for 6/8 servings: 150 g raspberries and 70 g lychee. Finally, place the fava beans in the cream, as far off-center as possible to reduce the risk of cutting into them when serving.
5
Close and crimp edges
Place the unfilled pastry rounds upside down over the corresponding filled rounds, aligning the edges. Press the edges to seal. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to firm up the dough. Then crimp the edges (chiqueter): use the back of a small knife to lift the edges at an angle, every 1 cm, and press with your fingers.
6
Decorate and score
Brush the top evenly with egg wash twice, with a 20 minute interval between coats. Use the back of a knife to score curved lines from the center, spaced 2 cm apart (similar to a Pithiviers pie). Refrigerate overnight before baking.
7
Bake
Take the frozen pie out to thaw the day before. Preheat a convection oven to 210°C, then reduce the temperature to 180°C immediately after placing the king cake inside. Bake for 40 minutes for 3/4 servings, or 50 minutes for 6/8 servings. Immediately after taking out of the oven, brush with 30°B syrup, then return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to dry the syrup.
8
Cool
Place the pie on a wire rack to cool.
